Navid Khonsari, a former writer and director for Rockstar Games, is working on an interesting game that retells the real story of the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran, Iran. Khonsari is responsible for the "cinematic feel" introduced in Rockstar's breakout hit, Grand Theft Auto 3, and for his work on Remedy's Max Payne series and Alan Wake. After leaving Rockstar, Khonsari formed Ink Stories with his wife in New York City.
What does it take to be accused of espionage? For Navid Khonsari, all he had to do was start making a game about his homeland.
If you've been waiting to hear more about 1979—the game that Khonsari's been developing about the socio-cultural turmoil of the Iranian Revolution—you may have noticed that things have been quiet for a while. There's a reason for that.
"When word got out about the game, it got picked up by the conservative newspaper in Iran and I got written up as a spy," Khonsari relates. "They're basically saying that I'm making propaganda. So, as a result, I can't go back to Iran now. It really sucks because I've got some family there, including elderly relations."
Sweet a game that takes place on the year I was born and close to where I was born. Hope the story good and accurate. It sounds like a good idea, I just hope its not one sided like all western games where they demonize certain cultures and there is only "ONE" that seems to always be the best. Getting kinda tired of the u.s thinking they are the best.
will pick this up and give it the right kind of fundings hopefully its on a great engine too
Could be a potential welcomed change in gaming concept. Kinda reminds me of Eternal Darkness with the "8 to 10 different roles" comment. But sounds like it may not be without controversy. Wonder what genre will this be classified under, and what platforms its coming to.